


The Cliffs of Insanity

by bruisedbutlovely



Series: the cliffs of insanity and other stories [3]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Clay | Dream & Technoblade Friendship (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Emotional Manipulation, Family Dynamics, Heavy Angst, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Insanity, Just the characters they play, Kidnapping, MCC - Freeform, Manipulation, Minecraft Manhunt, Not the RPF, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Phil is only Wilbur's father, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Possessive Behavior, Psychological Horror, Technoblade Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade Hears Voices (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Trying to follow canon as best as i can, Unhealthy Relationships, i love wilbur and phil's father son dynamic and i will always add it, minecraft championship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29516775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bruisedbutlovely/pseuds/bruisedbutlovely
Summary: [on temporary hiatus cause inspiration is fickle and you all deserve nothing but the best]"Oh Technoblade, oh Dream, come out, come out wherever you are!"---As Minecraft Championship 8 reached its end, the cameras suddenly went out. When they came back up again, the arena was flooded with blood and Dream and Technoblade were missing. By the time everyone respawned, they were long gone.Meanwhile, Dream and Techno were trapped in a hardcore server by their friends who they don't even recognize anymore. Philza, Wilbur Soot, Tommy, George, and Sapnap have completely lost their minds, obsessed with the idea of a perfect world and family, far away from politics and others. Dream and Techno must escape through the End before their friends, if you can even call them that anymore, completely break them.[This is a rewrite of "On the Cliffs of Insanity". However, things will be different and events will be changed so I don't suggest reading the original which wasn't written very well :) ]updates are monday, wednesday, and friday
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Technoblade
Series: the cliffs of insanity and other stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984175
Comments: 175
Kudos: 344





	1. the beginning of the end

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we go again :)

_ “What the hell? What happened?” _

_ “Wilbur? Phil?” _

_   
_ _   
_ _ “What did you do? What did you do?” _

_   
_ _   
_ _ “You don’t understand. We were only trying to protect you.” _

_ “What kind of sick game are you playing?” _ _   
_

_ “You’re not going to understand.” _

_ “We’ll be a proper family.” _

_ “We’re just protecting you.” _

_ “Phil, please.” _

_ “Please, you can still stop.” _

_ “Why would we want to, Dream? We can finally be a family.” _

_  
_ _  
_ _  
_ _  
_ **Red Rabbits and Green Guardians win MCC!**

  
  
  


═════☩══♛══☩═════

  
  
  


“Hello?”

  
  
A boy with blonde hair and green eyes sat alone in a bedroom. Sitting up, the covers fell off him but he paid them no mind. He stood up and shivered as he stood barefoot on the wooden floors, grabbing an oh so familiar mask that sat on the nightstand beside him.

And again, he called out, “Is anyone there?”

There was no answer. 

Moving towards the door, he tried the handle but it just jiggled uselessly. Harder and harder he tugged but the door had yet to move, to open, to even budge. He slammed his hand on the door, yelling out for anyone out there but no one came. Screaming and screaming for anyone, wherever he was remained silent, dormant as if he was forgotten, ignored, alone. 

He was alone. 

The boy finally gave up, sliding down the door to the floor in defeat. Hitting his forehead on the door, the boy screwed his eyes shut as if that would fix everything, as if he would simply wake up from this nightmare. 

But the boy opened his eyes to the same room, the same door, the same bed pushed into the corner. His mask clattered to the ground and he curled against the door, his breathing harsh and almost suffocating. Why couldn’t he breathe, it was so hard to breathe in this room he was trapped in. 

He clawed against the door, uncaring of the sound that echoed in the empty room. He closed his eyes again, running his fingernails down the wood and carving jagged lines into it. His voice was hoarse from screaming for who knows how long and blood started to collect under his fingernails. Tears dripped down his face. 

“Hello?”

The boy with blonde hair and green eyes tried again. 

“Is there anyone there?”

  
  
There was still no answer.


	2. the color red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream sees the sun again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prologue has been edited!!! i would recommend going back and rereading it, it's just a bit different. i had to change it for the story :)
> 
> i hope you enjoy this sort of different writing way! i also hope you enjoy this rewrite, it is pretty different than the original

Solitary confinement can cause hallucinations, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and actions, and psychosis. It can also cause trembling hands, eyesight deterioration, sleep problems, and fatigue. 

Solitary confinement can drive a person insane. 

Days, months, years. 

They all started to blend after a while. 

Dream didn’t know how long he had been in that room, walking the lengths of the walls and trying to count the hours as they pass as fast as molasses. There was no window in the room, only blank walls and a slow sense of suffocation, of being trapped forever. 

His hair was not longer. He wondered how long he had truly been in that room. 

Sometimes, Dream could see the sun, the bright blue of the sky, the way the birds flew just right. But then, he blinked and they were gone again. Sometimes, he could see his friends, laughing and joking as they walked down a familiar path. But then, he looked away and it was just plain walls again. Sometimes, he could see the arena, hear the people cheering his name, the feeling of a bow in his hand, the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the unbelievable warmth as the Championship drew to a close.

They were supposed to win. 

Supposed was a funny word. Synonyms were assuming, expecting, believing, thinking, and you had such high hope that everything would be okay. You assumed that it would be fine, expecting happy endings, believing everything will work out, thinking that you were okay. 

Dream lied on his bed, staring at the wall but not truly seeing. The dark green walls were painted nicely, an obvious care going into them. He constantly wondered who built the room he was trapped in, who placed the wood that lined the walls, who nailed his bed to the floor, who added the lock to his door that prevented any escape. 

He wondered who had the key. 

Dream was never religious but he started to pray for the key, for just the chance of seeing something other than the same four walls. 

And one day, it seemed like his prayers were answered because the door opened. 

Maybe there was a god after all.

“Dream?” 

The one in question sat up suddenly on his bed, his muted green eyes suddenly catching the gaze of another, of a friend. Sapnap smiled at him as if everything was okay, as if they didn’t stand on opposite sides of the room, of the game, of the world and his eyes were bright. And Dream could only remember the sight of blood on his friend’s face, dipping down and hitting the arena. 

He wondered why he still thought of Sapnap as a friend.

“Hey, man,” Sapnap’s smile grew strained, unsure of itself. “Come on, Phil wants to see you.”

  
  
Dream wanted to tear out Sapnap’s tongue. 

“Where’s Techno?” Dream’s voice was rough, hoarse, harsh and it made Sapnap wince just hearing it. The masked man, unsteady on his feet, stood from the bed, waving his old friend off when he came to aid him. “Tell me.”

  
  
“Phil will tell you,” Sapnap promised and Dream only gave a stiff nod. “Come with me.”

The once close duo exited the room and Dream shielded his eyes from the brightness pouring in from the windows. He found himself drawn to the windows, drawn to the sight of the outside that he had so desperately missed through the days. His breath fogged up the glass but he couldn’t care because he saw the dark oak trees, the red spots of mushrooms and if he stretched up, he could see a glimpse of an ocean, far away and forgotten. 

It was more beautiful than he remembered. 

Eventually, Dream drew up away from the window, keeping an eye on it out of the corner of his eyes. When his fingers touched the glass all but a few seconds ago, he tapped it and recognized the harshness of reinforced glass. He had closed his eyes in that moment for just a second, feeling the chance of escape starting to slip through his fingers. 

Trapped in what seemed to be a woodland mansion and with no idea where they were, Dream already knew that escape was slim. The ones who took them were smart and they were probably in a different server, its ip address unknown to anyone but the chosen few. 

Dream let Sapnap lead him through the halls, trying to draw a map in his head of the mansion. Sapnap had explained that all of the bedrooms were on the third floor while the study and library was on the second along with some storage. On the bottom floor was a large living room, kitchen, pantry along with some other things. And the words stuck in Dream’s head because if he knew the layout, he could try and find some sort of escape.

Sapnap unexpectedly turned to reveal a grand staircase and to reveal Wilbur Soot. The taller man was holding a book with a blank cover, papers piled on top of it, and didn’t even seem to notice them, lost in his own head. 

“Wilbur” Sapnap called out, causing Wilbur to startle. His eyes were immediately drawn to Dream’s, the enemies still enemies. “How’s it going, man?”   


  
Sapnap and Wilbur were never friends, always at each other’s throats from the beginning, from the moment Wilbur went against Sapnap’s authority to build that stupid van in Dream’s land. And seeing them like this, like they were friends, made Dream only want to leave more. 

Wilbur smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Good! Just, working on something new. You should probably get going, Ph- Dad will want to see Dream as soon as he’s done with Techno.”

  
  
And before the duo could answer, Wilbur was up the stairs and down the hallway opposite of the way they came. But Dream caught a glimpse of one of the pages, catching the rough sketch of the mansion with x’s littering the drawing. He quickly turned away, following Sapnap down the stairs once again.

Sapnap kept a steady stream of conversation, talking with the other like it was any other day. He talked of songs that Wilbur made, pranks that Tommy pulled, small advancements he himself made, and the brillant programming that George was working on. 

And Dream wanted to cry because all he could see was the blood staining the walls and the screams for them to stop echoing in the arena. His hand subconsciously went to his side, feeling a phantom pain. 

It hurt. Dream watched his friend talk like nothing was wrong and it hurt. 

The staircase bled into another hallway. Across it was another staircase that presumably led to the bottom floor. There were two grand doors on either side of the hallway, one closed and one wide open. That was the door Sapnap led Dream too. 

And in the grand library that was filled with forgotten books, George sat at one of the tables. His trusty goggles were on top of his head, reflecting the sunlight around the room and he read through a book with an almost bored expression on his face.

“Hey, Gogy,” Sapnap waved at the older, smiling when he saw the annoyed look on the other’s face. “Look who’s out.”

“Welcome back, Dream,” George rested his chin on his hand, his face one of a gambler’s: unyielding of true emotions and true thoughts. Dream said nothing in response, choosing to simply observe the people he used to call his friends. “Still don’t know why Phil choose Sappitus Nappitus to get you. He probably did something wrong.”

  
  
“I just had to unlock a door, nimrod,” Sapnap rolled his eyes but he was smiling. “Not even Tommy could mess that up.”

George ignored his friend’s comment, instead focusing on Dream. “Take it slow, Dreamy. Don’t jump straight into fighting or helping like I heard Sapnap did.”

  
  
Sapnap childishly stuck his tongue out at him, gently touching Dream’s shoulder to lead him away and Dream ignored the urge to jerk his shoulder out of his grip. They exited the library and went across from the hall where Tommy was leaving the assumed study. 

“Big D! You’re up,” Tommy’s grin was sprinkled with mischief that Dream was so used to. “Philza Minecraft is just chatting with the Blade.”

  
  
“Is he ready for Dream?” Sapnap asked and Tommy shrugged.

  
  
“Don’t know, big man. He just told me to go so he could talk to Techno privately.”

“Probably cause you were being annoying.”

“Oh, fuck you!”

  
  
Dream slipped away from Sapnap’s side, walking past Tommy as the two fell into bickering that felt too natural to be real. 

If anything, none of this felt real, just some bad dream to wake from. 

Maybe Dream just didn’t want to believe that his own friends kidnapped him, taking him away from everything he had ever known. 

He felt like he should be panicking more but he only felt numb. 

And numb was okay.

Without glancing back, Dream slipped into the study. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> d̴̡͔̭̦͖͔̥͇͕͔̦͙͐̒̾͌͒́̕͜͠o̷̡̦̯̪̹͇̱͋̆̆̈́́͗n̴̡̛̮̘͕̭̦̰̳̫͛͊̈́͐̋̈̎̈̂̅͝'̶̢̥̩͠t̷̟̤̙͉̼̱̝̫̆̅ ̵̧̢̛̛̠̪͇̞̂͐̉͒̉͛̋̓̍̃̕͠t̸̞̠̍̅̈́ŗ̴̛͑̈́̇͋̋̌̚ư̶̧̢̨̛̩̝̮̩̠̯̟̘̗̦̺̭̄̔͋̀͊̂̈͂̅̈́͐͘s̵̨̢̻͍̹̜̥̪̞͉̝̓̍̄̅̆̿̿͆̃̅̽͘͠t̶̰̮͓̹̬̓ ̴̫̞̪̩̝̣̹͍̮̫̳̉͒̒̇̂̾̎ͅť̷̢̢̢̲̰͔͇̪̬̠h̶͇̜̤̣̘̫͙͑͌ȩ̶̡̘̼̱̟͓̬̦̗̩̼̻̐̏͊̋̂͂ ̵̢͓͕͊͊̇̉̈́̐͗̐̉̿͆͘̕͝e̶̛͖̺̩̭̠̖̺͓̔̌̊̏̑̆̕̕ǹ̴̢̬̺̥̦̮̺̠͕̯̮̮͕͂̅͑̽ͅd̵̨̧̖̥̗̬͖̬̘͖̺̍̀̃́̑̆̓̈́̈͋̄̈́̒͜͜͝i̵̡̛͎̮͒̈́͌̍̈́́͒̄́̍̚n̶̛̝̻̣̺̙̥͙̗̜̳̩̼͚̏̃̆͒͗̈́̆̀̑̚̚ͅg̷̺̬͓̫͖̞̱̾͊̀̅͌s̸̡̢̢̺͚̠̺̗͎͈͓̭̩̞͚̐̄͗͆̅̓͌̽̍̚͠͠


	3. a ticking time bomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream meets Phil and Techno.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> be warned that what i call the mansion era will not last long. dream and techno will want to get out as fast as possible so the manhunt will be very soon :)

It was warm. 

That was the first thing Dream noticed. 

Bookshelves lined the walls similarly to how they did in the library but they seemed older, more likely to be found in a stronghold than anything. It made Dream wonder how long they spent preparing this, building this house that was more than a prison than a home. 

It was smaller than the library, a more tight squeeze but no less interesting to look at. Trinkets and knick knacks lined the shelves and Dream even caught a glimpse of a few eyes of ender littered about. They all stared at him, staring almost straight through him and Dream drew his eyes away, not looking that way again. 

A giant map lied in the corner, presumably of the world but Dream was drawn to the huge fire on the other wall, a few couches resting in front of it. From his place by the door, Dream could see Phil in a chair right next to the fire, his eyes lighting up when the door closed with a bang behind the speedrunner. And across from him on a loveseat was someone very familiar. 

Technoblade, Dream’s teammate and friend, twisted backwards and their eyes met. 

How long has it been since the Championship, since they were at the top of the world and seemed unstoppable? How long has it been since they were infallible, untouchable, soaring high on the exhilaration and believing that nothing could go wrong? How long has it been since they saw home, friends, the worlds they left behind? 

Slowly, the burning hot rage built in Dream as he stared down Phil. He had been calm, letting his emotions stew because to be honest, he was scared.

Of his friends, of the server, of the future. It was uncertain, unknown, unsure. 

But Dream was trapped here, trapped among people that he could barely recognize and people that told him that he would be happy here.

How could he be happy here when he could barely look his friends in the eye?

“Hey, mate,” Phil grinned at him, leaning back in his chair. He gestured towards the spot next to Techno. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

  
  
His mask hid any true emotion as Dream sat down, glancing for just a moment at Techno who seemed stone cold. But his eyes betrayed any true fear and any true relief at seeing the other. 

They were alive. 

“Tech was woken by Wilbur not long before you were,” Phil started to fill the empty silence. “We were just having a little chat as we waited for you.”

Dream only nodded stiffly.

“But welcome, boys, to your new home!”

  
  
“Our new home?” Dream stuttered over the word because this was not home. This was not anything remotely close to home.

  
  
“Well, of course,” Phil continued. “We’re finally all here. We can finally be a family.”

  
  
“Family?” Dream stuttered over the word again, feeling like a broken record, slowly skipping and repeating and stumbling and hesitating. “What do you mean by that?”

  
  
“I mean a lot of things but we can be truly together. Me, Wilbur, Tommy, Sapnap, George, Techno, you. We don’t have to worry about L’Manburg or wars or Championship or the threat of something tearing us apart. We can be alone, a simple family again. And no one will stand in our way.”

“When Scott teamed you two together, I realized that people would keep trying to tear us apart. Sleepy Bois, Dream Team, it doesn’t matter anymore. We have to be together, alone in our own world where no one can reach us and no one can tear us apart like those damn Championships did.”

“We’ll be together forever. You two are the final piece.”

It was the ramblings of a mad man, of a man that was so determined to bring together what was maybe already lost, of a man that had nothing left to lose and yet, had nothing to begin with. 

“So, you’re just gonna keep us here,” Dream’s breath was coming out short. All he could feel was his blood pumping harshly, reminiscent of that feeling before manhunts when he stared his friends down and had to remind himself to not go easy. “You fucking kidnap us and you expect us to just sit down and join your fucked up family?”

  
  
“Dream-” Techno warned but the other ignored him. 

“You kidnapped us, you killed those people, you fucking put us in those rooms for who knows how long! I screamed for you, for Sap, for George, for anyone, did you hear me? I banged on the doors, did you hear me? I kicked the walls, I slammed against the door, I yelled for someone, for anyone to answer me, did you hear me?”

“You kidnapped us and you expect us to play pretend, to play house with you? You’re all fucking insane! You’ve completely lost it.”

  
  
His words didn’t make sense, they were jumbled, they were a mess but it was all Dream had. He was losing his fucking mind, all he could see was the red on his hands, the red on the walls, the smiles they gave him that made him wanna tear his skin off. He screamed, he shouted, he yelled insults and sentences he didn’t even recognize at the man who sat there calmly, like nothing was wrong.

“You’re not my family,” Dream growled as he stared down at Phil, when did he stand up? “Sapnap and George might have been but not anymore. None of you are my family.”

  
  
“Oh, Dream,” Phil’s smile turned dark, dangerous. “Of course we are. After all, we’re all you have. There’s no escaping this server, I control the whitelist but you will stay with us because we are a family.”

  
  
“I can leave if I want to.”

  
  
“No. No, you can’t.

“And who’s stopping me?”

“Your own death. This is a hardcore world.”

  
  
Dream felt his blood freeze and he stumbled back. Phil stood and he seemed so much taller than him, overshadowing him.

“Recognize the name, don’t you? You see, if you die in this world, there is no respawn, there is no second chance.”

  
  
Falling back, Dream was on the couch again and his hands shook. 

“When you die, you’re gone forever.”

  
  
Dream was drowning.

“Do you really want that?”

Numb.

He was numb. 

“I didn’t want to but someone in this house tried to go out, tried to escape and I couldn’t allow it. I changed it to something more familiar.”

The water filled his lungs.

“I don’t want to lose any of you but this was the only way I could make sure that you stayed with us forever.”

Numb. Everything was numb. 

Dream slammed the door behind him, finding himself in the hallway once again. He sunk to the floor and he was crying again, they burned as they fell down his face. His hands gripped his hair and tugged, pulled, yanked. 

Hardcore, in theory and practice, was the ultimate ending. If killed in an hardcore world, the player’s code was deleted. Permanently. There was no respawn, there was no redo, there was only an abyss, a void, nothingness. 

Phil was the most well known, having a hardcore world that lasted five years. When he was in a different world, that one had glitched and deleted itself even though the player was not active. 

It was in every headline, every news station, everywhere. 

And Phil grieved. Dream remembered Wilbur coming up to him, telling him that he would be leaving for a while to comfort his father. And Dream agreed.

Did Dream send Wilbur to his own fall?

His friends didn’t act insane. Then again, Dream didn’t know what insane was. Was insanity the screaming, the crying, the ideas that make no sense and the slow march to chaos? Or was insanity the silence, the quiet, the plans that are made in the dead of night and dominoes that are so carefully placed? 

Dream didn’t know.

He was overreacting, he was underreacting, he was still crying. 

He was still trapped.

Finally, Dream pushed himself up. With one last glance at the door behind him, he walked towards the stairs leading to the bottom floor. 

In manhunt, one couldn’t allow themselves to break down at the threat of being caught by the hunters.

Dream couldn’t break down. 

This was manhunt. And Dream was always determined to win.

\-----------

Techno stared unforgiving into the fire, refusing to give his old friend the satisfaction of seeing his eyes, his face, his emotions. Phil only sighed when the door closed, coming around the couch to stand right behind the warrior. 

“You understand, don’t you, Techno?”

  
  
“Yeah, Phil. I do."

  
“We can’t lose each other again. We’re all we have.”

  
  
Techno hummed. 

“I don’t want to keep you boys confined to this house but I have no choice. That’s how the others learned and that’s how you will.”

Techno nodded. 

“I just want to protect you all. You won’t have to lose anything again.”

  
  
Techno didn’t answer. 

“We’ll be happy, Techno. I promise.”


	4. mythology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We look at Techno for just a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the manhunt is soon :)

_ The tale of the labyrinth described a maze designed by an inventor for a king. The labyrinth was a maze that was supposed to be impossible, inescapable for it housed a terrible monster, one that shouldn’t see the light of day. _

_ The maze, so confusing and so cunningly made, could barely be traversed, even by the inventor. The king was proud, seeing the monster in the gleam of his eye and sending in kids to feed the beast. However, the people grew angry at the sacrifice and so, the gods sent a hero. _

_ The hero was courageous, one of the few that seemed like a true hero and not just one of those stories. He was aided by the princess who gave him a ball of yarn that was given to her by the inventor who grew terrified of his own creation. The hero, brave and light, travelled into the labyrinth and left behind a trail of yarn. _

_ The hero managed to kill the horrible monster and followed the trail back, being the first to escape the impossible maze. However, the king grew mad of the hero and the dead monster and as punishment, the king trapped the inventor in the middle of the maze where the monster once stood.  _

_ The inventor, however, wasn’t alone. He had a son who wanted to be just like his father and the two were trapped together. The inventor, unwilling to be kept in his own creation, created wings made up of feathers held together by wax. And one day, the son and the father tried to escape the tower. _

_ They caught the winds of the day and were taken high above the tower, the labyrinth, above the kingdom that the cruel king ruled. And the inventor warned his son to not fly too close to the ocean or the water would affect the wax. And the inventor warned his son to not fly too close to the sun or the sun would melt the wax. _

_ However, the son, young and prideful, flew too close to the sun. The heat melted the wax and the feathers were torn from the wings. Screaming, the son fell into the ocean and died. _

_ And the inventor was alone again.  _

  
  


Techno only stared at the pages of the book, letting the silence of the library wash over him as the words did. He always loved stories, loved the way the sentences flowed and told of different worlds, of different people. And he knew that most stories weren’t a happy ending. 

He had read many before, ones lost in history and ones made by friends. The ones that were created and written with no effect of real life on their words always ended happily. The ones that were true never did that, never gave that ending everyone craved and always ended in tears. 

Techno slammed the red book shut, pushing it across the table and away from him. The golden engravings of the cover mocked him, laughed at him as the words of the tale echoed in his head. 

The tale of the labyrinth ended differently for everyone. 

The hero ended up leaving the kingdom.

The princess was left behind when the hero promised to take her with him.

The king was without his monster.

The son was dead, his body drowning. 

And the inventor was alone.

No story ended happily. But gods, Techno wished that his would. 

When he woke up in that room, that dark room, Techno didn’t really know what to think. Dream said he cried, he screamed but Techno was only silent. He never spoke that entire time he was trapped in there, staring at the walls and imagining somewhere else. 

And when Wilbur opened the door, Techno still didn’t speak. Wilbur spoke in soft tones, like he was afraid he would scare the warrior, but he came unarmed. Techno knew he could take the other, knew that he could knock the other out before Wilbur even had a chance to move but Techno didn’t. 

He still wondered why he didn’t.

Maybe it was the threat of someone else being out in the hallway, just beyond Wilbur. Maybe it was the thought of getting out of the room only to find himself still trapped, still locked away wherever they took him. Maybe it was the fleeting idea that Dream was still there, still trapped and Techno just couldn’t leave him there. 

When he saw the speedrunner in the study, Techno sighed in relief.

But now, a few days have passed. Every day, the “family” ate breakfast together, made by those who could actually make a decent meal. Then, Techno and Dream were separated, taken by a different member to different parts of the house. They would do whatever they could to pass by time and the member would always say no when Techno asked to go outside or just feel the familiar weight of a sword in his hand. Phil would sometimes see what they were doing, acting diligently like the caring father and nothing like the man Techno took over the world with.

Wilbur was Techno’s favorite to hang out with. Well, favorite was a relative term. The lanky man still spoke of Phil like he was some kind of hero, so merciful to protect Wilbur when he didn’t have to. Techno nodded along but he could see the broken look in Wilbur’s eyes and he wondered when this son of a friend broke. 

Tommy was okay, loud and every bit obnoxious as Techno remembered. And if Wilbur thought of Phil as a hero, Tommy thought of Phil as a god. The teenager repeated Phil’s words, lessons like they were gospel and he was just a follower. If anyone was insane in that household, it would be Tommy who believed that Phil could do no wrong and that they were always meant to be a family.

Sapnap was in the same boat as Tommy, following and copying the eldest’s ways. He spoke to Techno as if they knew each other for years and like they were brothers, like they were family. He was just as deep as Tommy was, unabashedly loyal. And he was quick to defend Phil, defend his actions, defend his teachings. Techno, for not the first time, was told that Phil taught all of the people in the mansion like he was teaching him and Dream.

George was unlike Tommy or Sapnap but also unlike Wilbur. He barely talked to Techno, instead taking him to the library and working away on his laptop as Techno read. It was almost peaceful, tranquil but Techno still stayed on high-alert, unwilling to be caught off guard. And one time, Techno asked what George was doing. He answered that he was protecting the server.

Techno didn’t know what insanity looked like but it showed in different ways in different people. 

That night, Techno nodded along to Phil. But he knew that Phil was long lost. 

Dream and Techno would eat lunch at different times and they would see each other at dinner. There, they would sit next to each other and try to play along.

But Dream’s laughs were forced and Techno’s voice was even more quiet. 

Staring out at the night sky, Techno stood from his seat in the library, leaving the red book behind as he walked towards the door. It was George’s night but he was called away to the study and no one else could take his place, Phil saying something about how it was time for Tommy and Wilbur. 

Techno left the library and went up the stairs. He passed by the study door, it closed firmly.

The stairs took him to the top floor and to a hallway. It was empty and Techno recalled that Sapnap took Dream to the younger’s room. Turning left, Techno walked down the hallway towards his own room. 

Glancing down at the end, he saw a big window. He knew that it was impossible to break without any momentum or just one person; he tested it on the second day. But the night was so inviting, so promising and Techno wanted nothing more than to jump out of this labyrinth.

This was Techno’s labyrinth, his maze, his inescapable prison. 

He was trapped in here, four walls and a roof and ceiling that seemed to get smaller and smaller every day. The windows only offered fake promises that Techno knew he couldn’t trust but yet, he still craved them and wanted them. 

Who wouldn’t want the intoxicating taste of freedom on their lips once again?

Techno was a caged animal, a prowling beast waiting to be free and waiting for the chance to get that freedom. 

The voices in his head demanded it. 

He had yet to tell anyone of them, of the people he called ‘Chat’ that took up a permanent residence in his subconscious. They were the ones that kept him company when he was trapped in that room and they were the ones that prevented his own insanity as he paced the lengths of the room.

The voices begged for freedom.

And Techno wondered who was the monster in the labyrinth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the traitor is not who he seems


	5. leap of faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An escape is planned but execution is where everything goes wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much to say, enjoy and take care of yourself!!

_ Tonight. Third toll of the grandfather clock.  _

  
  


Today was the day. 

Today was the day everything would be different.

Today was the day they escaped once and for all. 

It had been a month since Minecraft Championship, since Dream and Tecnhno woke up in cold and dark rooms. It had been a month since Dream banged on the door in the room and since Techno was only kept company by the voices in his head. It had been a month since this nightmare began.

And slowly, the two felt their sanity get chipped away like an artist trying to produce Aphrodite. 

Dream could feel his laughs start to become earnest and Techno could feel his words start to come out faster. Dream could feel that friendship reforming with George and Sapnap and Techno could feel that unofficial brotherhood reforming with Wilbur and Tommy. And they could feel themselves slowly feel as if they were family. 

They were family, weren’t they?

Stockholm syndrome was a psychological response in which the victims bond with their captors. 

The duo told themselves that their friends weren’t the people they used to be. It was hard to look them in the eye and play pretend when pretty words dripped from their lips like honey and their promises seemed as sweet as sugar cane. 

Sapnap still told shitty “your mama” jokes. George still grew annoyed when they told him to guess the color. Wilbur still played guitar and sang softly. Tommy still yelled and laughed loudly. And Phil still said “mate” in a quiet voice that made them want to accept his help.

  
  
They were the same people, right?

  
  
But Sapnap’s eyes still lit up with fire when they ever mentioned leaving. George’s mouth was in a tight line when they mentioned the outside world. Wilbur tensed when they talked of the Dream SMP. Tommy snapped when they said they were anything but a family. And Phil looked at them, disappointed.

They weren’t the same people.

So, every night at the first toll of the grandfather clock that echoed from the first floor, Dream and Techno snuck out of their rooms and met in the dim library that never seemed to sleep. Phil had taken the locks off their doors, claiming good behavior and the two of them could only swallow the bile building up in their mouth. There, they quietly talked, stopping as soon as a sound was heard even when they knew it was only the wind, beating against the house as if it was trying to reach them.

Dream wondered if there was anyone looking for them. Techno told him they were. 

They planned, they schemed, they spoke until their throats were sore as they tried, they tried to figure out how to escape.

All windows were reinforced with an unknown substance. Even throwing a chair at it won’t break it. There’s a door that leads from the kitchen to a small garden where all the food was grown. The garden was surrounded by bushes seemingly a mile high and they were sure to be heard. The front door was always locked. Techno noticed a simple tripwire that led to the grandfather clock they timed their late night escapades to. It would ring the moment the door was opened. 

Somedays, the two of them wondered if it was even worth it to try.

They planned and they planned and they planned and every plan seemed to be a more likely chance of death, of punishment, of being locked in that room again. 

Hardcore scared them. The idea of dying and having no respawn, no second chance, no redo, it was terrifying when they were used to that painful and uncomfortable feeling of their bones being knitted together and their skin slowly reforming around them. Not many tried the dangers of a hardcore world just at that threat. 

Blood would be shed and it would stain the ground. 

But a month had passed and the note was passed, slipped into Dream’s pocket at dinner. 

The third toll of the grandfather clock. 

It reminded Dream of a game that he couldn’t quite remember the name of. He remembered sand, poured into an hourglass and slipping back out. He remembered torches held as he ran through corridor after corridor, searching for something. 

And he remembered a pool of lava, trapped behind an iron door.

He hated iron doors, hated the way it trapped him in that dark room. 

Dream lied awake in his bed, searching for the familiar chimes. Two had already passed and he slowly tied the mask back onto his face as he knew the final one would come soon.

He always kept it on these days, even in the presence of just George and Sapnap. He used to take it off, laughing that it was hard to breathe in it but now, it was a comfort, a cover, a way to hide the quirk of his mouth and the indescribable fear in his eyes. 

The mask smiled back up at him but he couldn’t smile back.

Finally, Dream knew the third toll was close and he got up silently, years of manhunt put to good use. The door was opened quietly and he flinched when it made a small creek. Venturing down the hall, he stuck to the floorboards near the wall, only the moonlight from the window down the hall guiding his path. 

They met near the top of the staircase and Dream, for the first time in a long time, smiled genuinely. Techno gave a curt nod back but his eyes revealed his true emotions. 

Relief. Ambition. Hope. 

Hope was sweeter than their words and more deadly than their ideals. 

“What’s the plan?” Dream whispered in a soft voice, unwilling to try anything louder.    
  


“The front door,” Techno grinned. “It will alert them but any other plan will as well. Hopefully, we will be far enough away before they realize that the clock isn’t broken and that we’ve escaped.”

“Not going to add some Sun Tzu quote at the end,” Dream chided gently, nudging his shoulder against the other’s. 

“All warfare is based on deception.”

The third and final chime of the bell sounded throughout the mansion. But someone was coming up the stairs towards them.

  
  


“The Blade, Big D!” Tommy stepped into the moonlight, a shining sword in his hand. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  
  
Sapnap was next to him, an arsonist’s smile on him as they set a forest ablaze. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”

  
  
“Nothing,” Dream tried to play it off. “Just needed to get some water and ran into Techno here.”

“Oh,” Sapnap pulled a folded piece of paper from his pockets. “So, this note of an escape wouldn’t be anything, would it?”

  
  
They took a step closer and Techno and Dream took a step back, towards the hallway Techno came from. Someone else appeared in the opposite hallway, armed just like Sapnap and Tommy were. They recognized the goggles. 

“No,” Techno said bluntly. 

“I don’t like liars,” Someone else appeared behind George and the wings were infamous. Phil strided down the hall, the front line of this unplanned attack. George and the newly appeared Wilbur took guard behind him while Sapnap and Tommy took the stairs. “You guys should know that.”

  
  
“It’s not anything,” Dream insisted, feeling the archway into the hallway suddenly become closer, almost trapping them. Only bedrooms were behind them along with a window that was impenetrable. No way out. “We swear.”

“Dream, you’re not a good liar,” George taunted, his sword resting leisurely on his shoulders. 

“Boys,” Phil said in that calm voice of his that was somehow soothing and dangerous at the same time. “Just give it up. If you stand down now, I promise the punishment won’t be harsh. You’re my family.”

“We’re not family,” Dream bared his teeth. “Why can’t you understand that?”

  
  
“You just don’t understand,” Tommy rolled his eyes. “Come on, Philza Minecraft, I want to go back to bed.”

  
  
“Be patient, Tommy,” Phil cooed softly. “Everything will be taken care of soon, son.”

  
  


“Tommy’s not your son,” Techno barely held back a sneer. “Only Wilbur is. We’re not your family.”

  
  
“Techno, you agreed with me before.”

  
  
“I was lying before.”

Phil let out a harsh laugh, one so unlike the normal brash and infectious laugh he usually had. “Mate, I wish you didn’t say that.”

  
  
They were charging. They were running. The swords glinted in the moonlight. 

Thinking quickly on his feet, Dream grabbed Techno’s hand and sprinted down the hallway, away from their insane friends. The hallway seemed endless and the darkness seemed like the void but they ran, ignoring the shouts and screams behind them. 

The window grew closer and everything seemed to slow.

With the momentum they gathered and the combined weight of the two, Techno and Dream crashed through the window, sending shards of glass in every direction. They soared into the sky, keeping their grip on each other as a silent promise that they wouldn’t let go. 

Technoblade and Dream fell into the night. 


	6. false sense of victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno and Dream are finally free of the mansion but the others still seek them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy and take care of yourself!!

The grass was cold underneath Dream’s fingertips. It was silky, soft, but unlike how he remembered for he remembered a warm patch in the sun, the sound of crashing waves. He remembered the sound of laughter, of voices that he recognized and cared for. The grass was always warm and yet, it was cold. 

When he could finally open his eyes, all he could see was the stars, hidden behind a mess of leaves and branches. It was mesmerizing, searching for the little dots of light that were so far away and he wanted to reach up, wanted to simply take them from their resting place in the sky. 

But everything hurt and his breathing seemed too sharp. 

Blinking drowsily, Dream turned his head to the left, catching a glimpse of pink hair and a red cloak. Slowly, softly, he reached out for his friend, gently grabbing the other’s hand. 

Green eyes met brown ones. 

Hands slipping away from each other’s, the two sat up, wincing at the pain that shot up through their body and danced in their bones. Dream let his hands run over his own body, searching for any pains that didn’t fade, any bones that were out of place.

  
  
“The trees must have broken our fall somehow,” Techno murmured, staring up at the sizable hole in the roof of the treetops. Leaves laid scattered around them, unexpectedly ripped from their home. They were harsh under Dream’s fingertips. 

“Are you okay?” Dream asked, concern bleeding into his voice. Techno looked at him and nodded, a bruise beginning to blossom on his temple. Dream lifted his hand up and felt blood drip out of his mouth; he must have bit his tongue on the fall. “We have to go.”

  
  
Techno nodded once again and pushed himself to his feet before aiding Dream in the same way. Techno favored his right foot and Dream had a cut going down his arm, hidden by the green hoodie he wore but otherwise, they were fine.

They survived the first jump. Not many could say that. 

Glancing back, Dream could just see the dark wood that made up the mansion. The window they jumped out of was destroyed completely, only sharp glass left behind and no one watched from there. No one watched them.

“I don’t think we were out long,” Techno dropped his voice to a whisper as they ventured further away from the mansion. “But they’re probably out here already.”

  
  
“Stick to the woodland forest,” Dream whispered back. “Phil can’t see us from above and it’s dense enough to hide a lot.”

  
  
The two of them walked in silence, seemingly trapped in their own thoughts, But they gravitated towards each other, the speedrunner and the warrior, with their contrasting colors. 

The night was silent, eerily so and it was truly unlike the hallway where the silence was few and far between. The others’ were screaming, crying, some begging as Techno and Dream ran towards the window and yet, the idea of freedom seemingly blocked out their words. But now, the initial adrenaline, the initial drink was starting to wear off and the silence came creeping back in uninvited. 

And Dream couldn’t help but ask, “What do we do now?”

  
  
It was a question that many asked, that many tried to seek the answer to. Not many found that answer, at least not knowingly, and instead, they simply figured it out. Plans go off the rails more times that people can count and to think that everything will go exactly to plan would be nothing more than wishful thinking. However, the question was a place to start, a place to begin, a place to start to find your way in the world. 

It was better than nothing. 

“You’re the speedrunner. I think you have more expertise.”

  
  
Dream scoffed. “I’ve never speedran a hardcore world. That would be truly insane.”

  
  
“Maybe we need a bit of insanity to get out of here.”

Dream could feel the fatigue starting to get to him, to draw him in but continued to walk next to Techno. “Well, it’s hardcore. And while I would say that we just go out the way we came, I have a bad feeling that the doorway to the main hub is back in that mansion.”

  
  
“Or destroyed.”

  
  
“Is that even possible?”

“If you have enough time, anything is. I wouldn’t be surprised if Phil found a way to do so, just to keep us in.”

“Great,” Dream deadpanned. “Besides, I don’t want to go back there.”

  
  
“I don’t either.”

  
  
But there was something about that mansion that was calling them, begging for them to come back like a siren, trapped deep within the ocean. Maybe it wasn’t the mansion itself but rather the people. Because there, they had their friends and the people they loved. There, they had food made just right and warm beds that were never cold. There, they had everything. 

But it was simply a lie, a fake, a simple wonderland that they fell down the rabbit hole into. It wasn’t truly home and it wasn't truly okay because there, they slowly lost it.

There, they slowly felt themselves start to drown. 

“The End,” Dream suddenly spoke up, his idea simply pausing in the air. Techno suddenly stopped, forcing the other to stop as well and he stared at the masked man. 

“The End?”

  
  
“We have no way out through traditional means like the server door. If we die, we’ll simply cease to exist. But those two aren’t the only ways out.”

  
  
“I’m listening.”

  
  
“Once the Enderdragon is defeated, a portal opens up. You go inside, hear some mumbled conversation that no one truly understands but then, it gives you an option. It was some backdoor that was put in long ago for the Creators and was never taken out. Once in, it asks you if you want to respawn or return to the main hub.”

  
  
The realization dawned in Techno’s eyes. “That’s our way out.”

“If we manage to defeat the dragon, we can go through the portal. No code can block it because according to the code, it doesn’t even exist. It was part of the Creator’s genius. Half of the population don’t even know of it.”

  
  
“How do you?”

  
  
“I’m a speedrunner, Techno. It’s my job to know things like this.”

Techno snorted, pulling his cloak tighter around his shoulders as the night wind moved in faster and faster. “So, we defeat the End and we go home.”

  
  
“It’s the only way out.”

Something rustled in the trees, sending a flock of birds scattering. Techno and Dream’s heads snapped up, eyes carefully watching the trees. When the noise finally faded, they traded a few more hush words before continuing on a crooked path away from the mansion.

Someone watched them from the tree tops. When they were far enough away, the being shot from the trees and took flight, their dark wings bursting from their back and catching the wind.

  
  
The being flew through the night sky, keeping hidden in the clouds. Soon, a familiar mansion with light spilling from its windows came into view and the winged one went into a dive, landing softly on the roof before sneaking into a trapdoor that blended into the wood. 

They stalked through the halls before coming across a large study where a group of four was waiting for him.

“Did you find them?” Tommy spotted Phil first, perking up from his spot on the floor by the fire. Wilbur, George, and Sapnap each turned their heads as well. Phil nodded his head in response to the youngest’s question. “Well, where are they?”

  
  
“I wouldn’t have been able to take them on my own,” Phil said, sitting down on the couch next to his only biological son. He leaned back, tossing his arm over the back of the couch and looked calm even though his words were anything but. “They’re too experienced.”

  
  
“Did you hear what they were planning?” George leaned forward towards Phil.

“They plan on beating the enderdragon,” Phil’s jaw clenched. “They think they can get to the main server hub if they go through the portal.”

“It’s possible. Very, very possible.”

  
  
Wilbur leaned against his father in silent support. 

“It’ll be a manhunt!” Tommy beamed. “We just have to capture them before they kill the dragon.”

“Dreamie’s good at manhunt,” Sapnap said as he stared over the map that was in the corner of the room, watching the two dots labelled ‘Technoblade’ and ‘Dream’. “He has beaten three hunters before and he has Techno on his side.”

“It’s the only plan we got,” Phil decided with finality. “Tomorrow, at early light, we will venture out.”

  
  
“They can’t be that far away,” Tommy protested. “I’m sure we can get them now. Otherwise they’ll get supplies and shit.”   


“They just left the map,” Sapnap informed them, watching as the two dots blinked out of existence. They seem to be heading towards the cliffs.”

“At first light, we’ll suit up,” Phil announced, watching the fire slowly ebb away. “We’ll trap them at the cliffs and give them a chance to give up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> old fans of the story should recognize the cliff...
> 
> ;)


	7. manhunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the title suggests, the manhunt begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

Techno and Dream sleep under the stars. 

The sound of crashing waves could be heard from where they took refuge near the edge of the dark oak forest. Techno had gone forward when they set up camp and spotted a cliff that was sure to kill you if you fell. 

Or were pushed.

It was about a hundred feet away from the edge of the forest and if Dream looked in just the right way, he could see across the field and at the ocean before them. There was something tranquil, something calming about it and in this neverending chase of unsureness, he craved something tranquil and calm. 

Dream took the second watch, leaning against a tree with the fire they made by his feet. Techno was on the opposite side of him, fast asleep as the events caught up with them. His ankle was elevated ever so slightly to try and get some pressure off of it. They wrapped the cut on Dream’s arm with a strip of red cloth from the cloth tied around Techno’s waist.

The speedrunner observed the red cloth tightly tied around his arm and the pain in his arm beat steadily. He tightened the knot even more before resting it on his knees, blinking slowly.

The fire was warm against his skin and the night air ruffled his clothing. His sweatshirt did not much against the cool air but he was used to cold nights, to fires that burned out quickly, to the freezing cold. But yet, no matter how used to the cold he was, it still came as a shock and still made him want to feel warm again.

The mansion was warm. The mansion had fires. The mansion had food. 

Dream’s stomach grumbled uncomfortably. 

The moon was slowly going down, giving away to the sun. When the world was bright again, they would set off, searching for a cave or anything to provide some armor or weapons against the others. Dream named them the ‘hunters’ in his head even though it brought back memories that maybe were best left alone.

Manhunt was something he always looked forward to, a way to push himself to his limits in a way that was comfortable, sometimes even fun. The hunters would taunt him and he would laugh, somehow always getting away. It was a game of cat and mouse but even if Dream lost, whether to a hunter or a miscalculated jump or a lucky hit from a mob, he would simply respawn. They would tease him and Dream would roll his eyes because in the end, it was only a game. 

It wasn’t a game anymore because the hunters were real and Dream wouldn’t respawn. 

A sudden movement from Techno startled the other, drawing his eyes away from the cliff to his friend. Techno grunted softly, forcing himself to wake up and he rolled his shoulders, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. 

“Morning sleeping beauty,” Dream teased with a grin and Techno only rolled his eyes. “It’s almost sunrise, we should get ready to head out.”

  
  
“I’ll collect some wood for swords,” Techno grunted. “You work on erasing our footprints here.”

  
  
“I got it, I got it,” Dream waved him off, watching as the other moved a bit away for wood. Dream turned back to the campsite, stomping the fire out with his boots. He quickly buried it, checking it over to make sure that it was virtually invisible.

The first time Dream ever played Manhunt, he lost. He was stupid, jumping from a tree and hurting himself uncessarily. George was able to kill him quickly, one swipe of his sword and the game was done. Part of it, however, was the fact that George could trace him very easily, following crafting tables that Dream didn’t pick back up and half chopped trees. 

Dream learned, he adapted, it was what he did. Because if he didn’t, the game would be over far faster.

Looking around the campsite, it looked as if the two of them were never there in the first place. He smiled slightly to himself, walking away from the campsite and towards where he knew Techno was. 

Dream didn’t know where the hunters were. They were attached to Techno and Dream, obsessed with them and Dream was a fool if he were to believe they would just let them go. 

The hunters have come so far, done so much to finally get Techno and Dream here. 

They’re probably on their way, searching for them, calling for them.

Dream half-wanted to return to them.

“Dream?”

  
  
The one in question froze for that wasn’t Techno calling for him.

“Dream, come out!”

  
  
Sapnap. 

Dream’s first friend and the man he would have called his brother if anything else would have occurred. He was half-tempted to respond but he stubbornly kept his mouth shut, pushing his back against the tree.

“Come on, dude. You’re not winning this time.”

  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Dream finally spotted him. And he was dressed in full netherrite. 

Dream felt the hope burning inside him start to slowly dwindle. 

What was he thinking? They couldn’t take on five hunters, not while they were weaponless and hungry and the hunters were suited up with enchanted swords and shields. Dream wanted to laugh to himself, wanted to cry, wanted to already cry surrender. 

But instead, he took a deep breath and watched Sapnap carefully.   


His friend was alone. And that was their first mistake. 

As silent as a mouse, Dream moved around the tree, keeping Sapnap in his view at all times. And when the other turned his back, Dream attacked. 

Wrapping his arm around Sapnap’s neck and pulling tight, Dream surprised the other and that was what he was going for. An inexperienced fighter would have instantly dropped their weapon, focused on getting the arm away from their neck but Sapnap wasn’t inexperienced. Dream was counting on that. 

“Found you,” Sapnap choked out, hand tightening around his axe. He swung sharply downwards, aiming for Dream’s leg but Dream moved swiftly out of the way. He let go of Sapnap and pushed him away, moving back into a fighting stance. 

Sapnap struggled to regain his breath for a second and a second was all Dream needed. 

“I found you,” Dream smiled before punching his friend as hard as he could in the nose and Sapnap’s head snapped back, blood already freely falling from his face. The hand that held the shield was slowly brought up to his face, wiping away the blood. 

“Is that the best you can do?” Sapnap asked, his crazed eyes meeting Dream’s.

“How about you find out?” 

Letting out a yell, Sapnap swung down the axe and it hit the ground exactly where Dream just stood. The speedrunner rolled out of the way of the incoming weapon, landing in a crouching position. Sapnap turned sharply, already gearing up for another attack but Dream was quicker. Harshly kicking the other, he hit the shield, knocking off a corner of it. 

Sapnap swung again and Dream moved back, fighting to keep his balance. Swinging again, Dream was forced into a defensive position to protect himself. Sapnap, of course, noticed this and his attacks got harsher, deadlier. He had the upper hand.

Then again, Dream never had it. 

Taking a risk, he suddenly sprinted full speed at his friend. Sapnap instinctively brought the shield up, unprepared for the sudden turn of events and Dream slammed into the shield, pushing both him and Sapnap to the ground. They fell to the ground, rolling away from each other and Sapnap’s shield fell to the ground as did his sword. 

Knowing that he had no chance of getting the sword, Dream stood and ran towards the shield. Sapnap, of course, dove for his sword, letting the speedrunner scoop up the shield and sprint away. 

Dream heard Sapnap yell, probably calling for either help or to give Dream away. He ran deeper into the woods, weaving through the trees and trying to lose Sapnap before he had a chance to recover. He could hear the other, hear the ever familiar clinking of armor and searched for Techno.

Finally spotting him, Dream started to run towards him. Tommy and George were hacking away at him, dressed also in full netherrite while Techno only had a stone sword. He was holding his own against them but Dream spotted a stone axe lying on a crafting table. 

Making up his mind, Dream ran into the clearing and grabbed the axe, immediately going into the fight. He raised his shield, blocking an attack from Tommy that was sure to hit Techno and roughly shoved the younger man away, retreating to Techno’s side. He gave the speedrunner a tight smile before the fight continued. 

In Manhunt, the hardest part of the game was the first run, the first chase, the first few minutes. It was because the runner was at his weakest, hungry and weaponless. The runner cannot hope to take the hunters on on his own so he must resort back to the basics. 

Hitting George and Tommy away, Techno and Dream ran. 

**Author's Note:**

> this was first published under the username xgirlinrainbowx but as you see now, i am bruisedbutlovely!! i hope you stick around, it's gonna be a wild ride :)


End file.
